Riddles and Roses
by SVU427
Summary: guessed on the rating. grillows and antiSara. based on the quote:He handed her a dozen roses 11 real ones & 1 fake one. Then he told her he would love her 'till the last rose died i thought it was cute, but what do i know? Read and respond!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Catherine sat. She sat in Grissom's office. Why Grissom's office? She could choose to be anywhere else, but she wanted to see him for some reason. No reason at all. She blushed, thinking about the embarrassment of him walking into his office, seeing Catherine, asking why she was here, and she wouldn't have an answer. She stood to get up only to have Grissom walk in carrying four or five text books with a bug cage stacked on top. Typical Grissom.

He went on doing what he would've done whether she was there or not. He put the books away, put the cage down, shuffled through a few papers, and Catherine started to get pissed off.

"You're not going to even acknowledge my presence? Not going to ask me why I'm here?"

"I wasn't going to, but why_ are_ you here?"

"What? I'm not allowed to be here? I thought we were friends, Gil."

Grissom looked at her above his glasses, tilting his head to give her that look. The 'why are you torturing me?' look. Catherine returned the look with her gorgeous smile. The smile where she had to tilt her head slightly and let her strawberry-golden hair shimmer in the light.

"So what've you got for me today?" she said nodding her head and gesturing towards the file on his desk.

"Why don't you tell me?"

"I didn't read your file. That's something Sara would do…"

Grissom looked at Catherine again. Blue eyes to blue eyes.

"I didn't read your file... but if you don't mind, I'd like to help you with the homicide on Tropicana. Make Warrick and Nicky take the one on Maryland. They're friends, they'd want to work together… oh and send Sara with them; I really don't want her to come with us…"

Again Grissom stared; blue to blue.

"I got my own copy from Ecklie," Catherine said.

Grissom rolled his eyes, "Since when did you become supervisor?

"Grissom, I've said it once, I'll say it again; I'm you're right hand, and you're left. I'm also your eyes when it comes to social workings with the lab, and your mouth when it comes to being political. Grissom," she put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to one side, "I've had control of the lab longer than you have." She said matter-of-factly.

Grissom took her words into consideration, and ended up nodding in agreement.

"Grissom! You're not supposed to agree with me on that… stick up for yourself!" Catherine laughed.

"Cath, I'm pretty sure you've already taken care of that for me too, 'hun," he answered. 'Hun'. Where'd that come from? "Can I have my chair back?"

Catherine realized she was standing in front of his desk chair.

"Yeah, but where will I sit?"

"I don't care…"

"Gil!" she said slapping his arm, "that's mean. I know you care where I sit. How about… here." She said sitting on top of his desk with her legs dangling.

"Fine," he said sitting down at his chair realizing he was now at eye level with Catherine's stomach. Flat stomach, he couldn't help but notice.

"So we're both early… what should we do?" Catherine asked after a couple seconds of just staring blankly at each other. There had been a lot of stares between them lately. Just staring. They don't even have to talk. They could just sit in a room together for hours and look at each other.

"What do you want to do?" Grissom asked, watching the petite woman in front of him.

_Sex._ Catherine thought.

"How about some riddles?"

_Good save, Cath. Where did sex come from?_ Catherine thought to herself.

"You don't like riddles, Cat…" Grissom called her Cat. Another piece of evidence confirming their closeness. 'Cat'; the name only Grissom is allowed to say. Not even her ex-husband was allowed to call her that. Not that he didn't, though. There was a lot of things Eddie wasn't allowed to do that he did anyway; beating her, going into drunken rages, cheating on her, just to name a few. Another sign of the friendship, or something more, between Catherine and Gil. Gil was always there, and when he would call her 'Cat', it would redeem the meaning of the nickname.

"Actually, I never did hate them. I just liked to make fun of you because I thought they were cute. That's all. Just pickling on you…"

"Uh-huh."

"Ooh, but I have one for you… What is so fragile that when you say its name you break it?"

"Silence."

"Damn! Okay… How do you throw a ball so it travels a short distance, stops, and travels the same distance without it bouncing off of anything?"

"Throw it in the air."

"Shit, Gil. Okay you try some. I've been practicing my riddle-solving skills. I'm getting good…"

"What goes around the world, but stays in a corner?"

"A stamp!"

"Okay… The man who invented it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it, and the man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it?"

"Ooh, kinda dark, isn't it? But it's a coffin."

"'kay, what gains a head at night just to lose one in the morning?"

"Pillow."

Now it was becoming a challenge.

"What can run, but never walks, has a mouth, but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?"

"A river."

"Pronounced as one letter, and written with three, two letters there are, and two only in me. I'm double, I'm single, I'm black, blue and gray, I'm read from both ends, and the same either way. What am I?"

"An eye"

"Good job, Cath, you've obviously done your homework," he said handing her the file with the information for their case, "I'm proud I have passed this riddle deciphering power to you."

"I live to make you proud," Catherine said sarcastically while she was reading the file. Pretending to be genuinely confused at something in the file as they walked out of the office, Catherine asked, "I know some months have 30 days, and some have 31, but which have 28?"

"February," Grissom responded simply and proudly, yet questioning to himself why Catherine wouldn't know something like that.

"No. Gil, you're slipping," she said putting her hand on his shoulder to stop him, "All of the months have 28," she said walking ahead of him; daring him to follow her. Catherine out-riddled Grissom. Impossible. Impossible, yet true.

* * *

respond please. Without reviews i feel like i have no purpose

-kerry


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Catherine and Gil sat at the end of the table giving the 'kids' the assignment. They always stood as the 'parents' of the graveshift. Today the 'parents' seemed to be in an unusually happy mood. Of course, the Nick and Warrick didn't notice as they started taking bets on their case even with Grissom's advice not to, Greg was too nervous to notice. Still a new CSI, Greg sat around anxiously waiting for someone else to tell him what to do. Grissom made him nervous. Only Sara noticed their curiously cheerful mood. She also resented it.

Sara liked Grissom. It was known by everyone. She didn't even try to hide it; just like he never tried to hide that he didn't have those feelings to return to her. He might not even know it, but he gives those feelings to Catherine. So Sara resents the relationship they have. The relationship she wants with him.

Sara scowls; watching them like a hawk would watch its prey. Catherine flicks a piece of paper at Grissom while he's not looking and quickly turns around. She can barely hold in her laugh and it doesn't take an investigator to tell she was the culprit and Grissom immediately reacts by stealing her coffee and drinking it before she can stop him. Grissom was acting childish; it was out of character for him, yet when you describe Gil Grissom, one of the main words that come to mind is childish. Catherine slaps Gil's arm causing him to almost spill it everywhere. This causes a burst of squealing laughter form Catherine and consistent chuckling form Grissom; again somewhat out of character. Grissom is very serious, but you can also tell by the chuckling that his laugh isn't used much, and everyone knows that the laugh, purposely or not, is always saved for Catherine.

Once again Sara frowns at the scene in front of her. A scene that is almost as perfect as if it were from a movie or a romantic novel. Her mind is filled with envy; as it always is when she watches them. She hates how they don't even know what they're doing. She's pissed off at the thought that appears in her mind; love is blind. That can be interpreted in many different ways, and as she fully knows, Catherine and Grissom's situation fills at least one interpretation of that statement; they don't know that they're in love.

The only hope Sara has at keeping them this way, not knowing, that is, is to step in before they do realize it. Judging by their more frequent happy days and increased time together, she doesn't have much more time to do it. That's when her jealousy depresses her even further. She's jealous of everything they have, yet she never does anything. She lies in bed at night planning how to do it the next day; each plan becoming a little eviler towards Catherine, and a little more loving towards Grissom. But she never does anything about it. Never. She just scowls at their love from across the break room table; wishing, wanting, and resenting.

* * *

short, but its not liek you have to wait for the nest... i typed it all before posting any of it 

respond ppllllleeeeeeeease


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Catherine placed the numbered markers on the pavement as Grissom followed behind her with the camera snapping pictures. Behind her; meaning he got to look at her _behind_ the whole time. He loves her tush. He's even admitted it to her before.

"Well," Catherine said standing up when she ran out of blood drops to mark, "I gained nothing from this at all, but a bad back; bending over and over only to find the blood drops follow the pattern I already knew they would."

Grissom smiled to himself unconsciously and Catherine caught it.

"Oh, I know you had something to gain from my pain; you got to look at my ass every time, didn't you? You know, I should make you pay for each of the…" she counted the number of markers she laid out, "twenty-nine times I bent over. Now that's how I used to make a living…" she said tipping her glasses and looking at him with semi-seductive eyes.

"I'd pay it. I'd pay for what I owe you now…" Grissom said pretending to reach for his wallet.

"Oh, no, Gil. I'd dance for you for free," Catherine said with her sunglasses now off so she could stare into his eyes to watch for his response to the seductive statement.

He didn't blush, or get embarrassed as she expected him to, but he completely surprised her by responding with, "I hope to take you up on that offer one day."

"Gil, what has gotten into you? You're so different, yet exactly how I've always known you, just a little more than that. You've become a little bit of a daredevil haven't you? I mean since when are you-"

"Go on a date with me, Cath," Grissom blurted out, though each word was carefully planned out. Catherine laughed a little in a breath and then held it and blinked. Her face then straightened and she blinked into her best friend's eyes and eventually a smile started to form.

"God, Gil. A date? We already know each other I say if we have a date we skip to like…" she thought for a second, biting her lip; something she always did while she thought. Something Gil always loved to watch her do, "Seventh or eighth date," she said confident on her decision.

"Why seventh or eighth?"

"The seventh and eighth dates are when you go to each others houses for drinks and talking and movies and just company, and then there's that thing you start after the fourth date, or if you're really lucky, as you would've been, second date."

"We already go to each others' houses for stuff like that, but what are you talking about?"

"Sex." Catherine shrugged.

"Sex," Grissom repeated, "And I would've been that lucky…"

The rest of the shift was going to drag on forever. They knew it. The sexual tension was growing between them, outweighing the small voices in their heads saying 'no we're colleagues, no we're friends'. Each of them wouldn't admit it just yet, but they weren't hoping for sex tonight. They wanted love. A love both had felt for each other for so long, and hoped the other returned. The love was mutual, but they didn't know it. They only knew the other wanted to have 'sex'. Reality isn't always clear, and as everyone is told over and over, love isn't clear either. They didn't know the feelings were shared until now.

"Catherine, I just wanted you to know," Grissom said driving the Tahoe back to the lab as fast as he could, "No matter how tonight turns out or how we turn out, I've always loved you. I love you Catherine Willows."

"Jesus, Gil. Today you must've had some epiphany today. You're so much braver than usual. Even braver than me, but not now; Gil, I love you, too. You don't have any idea how much."

It happened so fast. It just came out. In mere hours they went from best friends joking at the break room table with their cups of coffee, to a couple. To _something_. Love happened so quickly and neither knew how.

* * *

keep reading... sorry if the story does get confusing later. my brain's fried from my gov't class 

respond!

-kerry


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Grissom concentrated on the road. Catherine concentrated on him. He could feel her burning gaze. A good burn. The one that'll make his heart melt and his knees buckle. This is why he had to pay attention on just getting them to the Lab.

"Can't we just skip it?" Catherine whined. She was bouncing her knee p and down really fast. She was so anxious, so excited.

"We have to get the evidence back and punch out. Get your stuff from your locker, punch yourself out and meet me back here. I'll take the evidence in and get Sara working on it, 'kay? Ten minutes, tops."

"Uggghhh," she groaned, "Ten minutes! How 'bout now?" she said resting her hand on his leg.

"Oh, Cath, maybe five minutes. But I have to come up with a good enough story to tell Sara. She won't believe that I'm going home on time."

"I'll just tell her you were sick, but the only way I could make you go home was by telling you your bug died, and as a friend I drove you; remember you are playing the sick, heartbroken, bug-missing one… you'd be in no shape to drive!" Catherine invented smiling.

"You'd drive me home if my bug died?"

"No… How would I have known? I would've had to be at your apartment in the back room where you keep those bugs. I never go in there. I always close that door when I go over your house. But now that I think of it, I wouldn't be able to use that story. Sara's good at her job and she'd be able to tell I was lying; once again, I would've had to be at your house."

"Technically it's a townhouse."

"You always do that!"

"What?"

"That!"

"What?

"Just get me back to the lab, Gil, hurry!" she whined again.

The car was parked. They looked at each other.

"Ten minutes," Grissom said staring into her eyes again. The eyes that showed trust, desire, and love.

"Five," she corrected.

"Five," he confirmed. He opened the door and started to turn away.

"Gil," as he turned back around, he was met by a kiss. The kiss was soft, but hungry. Gil was ready for more when Catherine pulled away.

"Five minutes, Gil."

Grissom was in his office. He was looking for everything he needed and was pushing papers off his desk by accident and not bothering to pick them up. He didn't care. He just wanted to take Catherine home. Spend the evening with her. Spend the night with her. Hell, who was he kidding? He's always wanted to spend his _life_ with her.

Sara walked passed the office and stopped to watch Grissom. No one's ever seen him like this. She had made a new discovery. Grissom's never this anxious or excited about anything other than his bug racing. What could make like this? A dark thought crossed her mind when she heard heels clicking on the floors and saw Catherine literally run into the locker room. _Her_. This was Sara's only chance. It was now if she ever wanted something with Grissom. Now was her chance. Of course, he would be mad at her for ruining his night, but she's saving his _life_, right?

"Hey, Grissom," Sara said walking cheerfully into the office. There was no response. Not even the slightest blink to indicate that he might've noticed another living thing in his office, let alone a woman planning one seducing him to draw him away from Catherine. Sara put her hands on her hips.

"Grissom!" she practically yelled as she put her hand on his shoulder. This caused him to be aware of his surroundings. Someone touched him and called him, but it wasn't the warm touch of his Catherine or the playful voice of the one he loved. Sara.

"Yeah?"

"You look… frenzied…" Sara said for lack of a better word. She nudged the stack of folders and papers that had managed to fall off his desk and scatter all over the floor.

"I have a lot of- uh- things on my mind today, Sara. Can I help you? I'm very busy" He tried; a lame excuse as it was, but Gil Grissom isn't the best at social situations.

"You always have a lot on your mind," Sara said running her fingers up and down his arm, "You know I could try and help you with that…" she added leaning in and lowering her voice to a soft whisper.

Grissom cleared his throat.

"Sara, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, but…"

Sara pressed on, "You know you can take off early, and I could clock off early; I was planning on it anyway…"

"Sara, what the hell are you doing? I told you before; we- us- no, it doesn't work. You're my friend, and my colleague and I have feelings for someone else…"

"Grissom, you're not good at lying…" she said knowing deep down that he was telling the truth. She only needed to continue for a couple minutes more and the damage would be done, and then she can start her fresh plan to finally take Grissom. She leaned in as quickly as possible and pressed her lips against his. Grissom was taken by surprise and his reaction was slowed, but came fast enough to see Catherine out of the corner of his eye just as he started to push Sara away.

Shit. Catherine. Sara was right; she succeeded; the damage was done. It doesn't matter that by the time she got there Gil was pushing Sara off. For all Catherine knew, they could've been lip-locked for several minutes before Grissom realized Catherine was there. This was the one man Catherine would never expect to cheat. The one man she knew would never hurt her, and within hours of their romantic relationship which hadn't even lasted long to be considered romantic, she found his arms wrapped around another woman. She knew deep in her heart that Gil would never do that. She knew that he hadn't. She knew Sara was jealous. She knew Sara had taken the opportunity to sabotage them. She knew it in her heart, but she had learned not to trust her heart.

Her head told her he was just another one of those men. The men she always ended up with. The cheaters. The liars. The men that cheat on you in your own bed, and lie when you catch them- see it. The drunks. The greedy ones; the ones that only want sex, and will do anything to do it. The abusive ones. Her ex-husband fit all of those descriptions. All of her boyfriends had been lowlifes. All of her life experiences taught her that it would never be different. They taught her that she deserved it. That's why she never believes a guy like Gil Grissom would ever want to be with her. She always seemed destined to receive the short end of the stick. That's why she couldn't believe Grissom did this. She knew he didn't, but her mind told her to do what she had always done; run.

"Cath-"

"Don't"

"Catherine!"

"Gil, don't! You know it's in my cards to always end up with a guy that'll cheat and lie." She felt a pang of guilt immediately. Grissom would never cheat or lie, especially when it would affect Catherine in anyway.

"Cath, I love you- I would never- Cat, I've always loved you and I always will."

"Prove it. No, you know what? It's too late. You couldn't prove it for more than a couple hours let alone 'always', Gil"

"Cath, you know I didn't do this-" he started, but she cut him off to face the woman that caused all of the wreckage.

"Have fun, Sara. You win. I surrender. You deserve him. I guess you can call it the whole 'how can my heart break when it wasn't whole to begin with', right?" Catherine said feeling her eyes burn with threatening tears, but she was determined not to let them see. She's always remained strong for her daughter's sake, so why couldn't she stay strong for her own sake?

* * *

fast, right?... sorry if its confusing. i dont know whats wrong with me... sorry

kerry


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Catherine hurried down the hall, but walked as calmly as she could. With her back to them she could let her tears fall freely. And fall they did. She didn't look back or stop to explain to the onlookers what was going on. She didn't care who saw her crying as long as it wasn't Gil or Sara. She could hear Grissom's desperate screams of her name. She kept walking. She felt worse and worse the farther she was from him. She felt cold. Cold for walking away from him when she even knew it wasn't his fault. Cold for just leaving the vicinity of the warmth his heart gives off.

He felt cold. Her warm glow that followed her and reached out to anyone with a need was gone. He needed her. He felt cold. He could've prevented this. Gotten out of the way. He could've made Sara leave.

"Catherine!" he screamed after her as the sound of her heels clicking faded and her silhouette shrank in the distance of the long, glass-walled hall. Her name echoed off the walls desperately, unable to produce the slightest reaction. No hesitance. She didn't look back. She didn't slow down.

"Catherine!" he offered the silent hall again. Everyone was watching him. Sara, who had remained quiet through the entire event, grabbed Grissom's arm.

"Come on, Grissom. You don't need to make a scene. It's just Catherine. She's always so dramatic."

"'Just Catherine'? 'Make a scene?' I'll give you a whole Broadway musical! And get the hell off of me! Do you know what you've done?"

"So what. What has she ever done for you? You couldn't have really liked her for treating you like any of the other dirt bags have. Don't even listen to her sob story. Of course she gets so dramatic… she's a whore and keeps forcing herself into relationships she knows won't work, and…"

"Whore? You're the whore! All she's ever done for me was love me; understand me more than anyone I've ever known. She is no whore. She's always seen as out of an average Joe's league, but she wanted me the way I wanted her. You're the whore. You throw yourself at me time after time, and the more I reject you, the more you do, then you tear my heart away by making me watch the woman I love walk out the door!" Grissom screamed, now having on lookers including Greg, Nick, and Warrick among the other lab techs and visitors.

Grissom felt the burn of everyone's stares. He didn't care. He knew Sara was crying. Shit. She was probably suicidal. He should've known. It runs in her family and her name sounds a lot like suicidal. Sara Sidle; suicidal… He didn't care. He motioned Nick and Warrick over to take her as he spun around. He was dizzy. He couldn't believe what was happening. He was cold; freezing. He didn't have her. He ran down the hall, and like Catherine, he didn't stop to answer the questions thrown at him. He needed proof. Whatever it would take, he'd find proof. He loved her.

* * *

short again... 

respond please!

-kerry


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

She sat on her couch. Already in her sweat pants; the breakup/broken heart pants. She also had her best friends at the ready. Ben and Jerry. She always had a tub of ice cream prepared for the occasion. She picked up her fourth beer. Four already. She hasn't been home long. She didn't think she was home even long enough to get four beers out of the fridge, but apparently she had been. Yes, she was already drunk, but she was bale to think clearly.

"Why did I do that!" she screamed out loud. She was glad her daughter wasn't home. She kept telling herself that she knew he would never hurt her like that so why did she get hurt. Why did she act like he did hurt her? Another swallow of beer and a new idea popped in her head. It wasn't about being hurt. She just ran because of instinct. It's what she's always done, but this time she wanted to run before she had a chance to ruin it. She knew Grissom would never ruin their relationship, so she had to make it his fault. That would give her an excuse to get away; get away and not hurt him.

He was driving as fast as he could. His head was pounding. His heart was pounding; swelling up inside him. Maybe that's why his head was pounding. Or was it a migraine, again, from too much thought. The thought of losing Catherine forever. The thought of hurting Catherine; breaking her heart. The thought her having thoughts; maybe regrets, not only about their relationship that didn't last even a couple hours, but the relationship and friendship they've had for years. He could honestly say Catherine was the only one that understood him, and he was the only one that truly knew her; maybe even more than she did. Everyone sees Catherine as the outgoing-kickass-powerful woman, but all they see is her outside front that she puts up. Grissom had the privilege to dig beneath that. To find what Catherine was really about. Despite her experience, she was able to open her heart and love. Despite the kick ass strong woman she was, she was able to be sensitive to others around, especially when it came to her daughter or best friend. Gil had that honor of being that best friend and _knowing _Catherine.

It was dark. Why had it taken so long to get there? Why had it taken so damn long? No lights were on, but he could see a dim bluish tinted color lighting up the window. She had the TV on. He could only imagine her sitting curled up in her old sweat pants with a spoon at the ready and a half eaten gallon tub of ice cream left to melt on the coffee table. He was worried about the drinking though. Catherine was never a heavy drinker. She knew how to control her alcohol consumption, and promised herself she would never turn to it as her ex had. There had been only one time that he knew of where Catherine tried to drown herself in alcohol. In a matter of a few short days, Catherine had gone through some of the most traumatic experiences that could happen to a single person. She was drugged at a bar, woke up in a motel afraid that she was raped, hid the rape from everyone she knew, got into an accident where her daughter was kidnapped, and then watched her father be shot and killed as she talked to him. She turned to alcohol and thankfully not cocaine as she had in the past. Grissom was the only one that knew about the week following those traumatic events. Catherine and Lindsey stayed with Gil as he took care of both of them and pulled Catherine out of her given-up-phase. Grissom knew that if this event that had just occurred had hurt her in anyway she would drown herself in beer. And drown herself she did.

He knocked on the door. He heard a little bit of fumbling around before Catherine came to the door. Unfortunately, his prediction was correct. Catherine looked disheveled; definitely drunk.

"Oh, thank god you're here, Gil I was starting to worry," Catherine said sarcastically, "I mean what if you weren't here to manage everything I do, right? I can't make a decision on my own! I need Grissom to make sure I can walk on my own two feet…"

"No, but look what happened. The decisions you've made since you got home haven't been too beneficial, have they, Cat?" Grissom said stepping inside the house without invitation, and on the way in grabbing the freshly opened bottle of beer from Catherine's fingers.

"Cath, any more and you'll have alcohol poisoning," he said when she made a noise of protest.

"Awe, where's the fun, Grissom? You know maybe this is best. Maybe I shouldn't have ended up with you 'cause you would spoil all the fun."

"I'm not spoiling the fun, I'm saving you from making a horrible mistake," Grissom said grabbing the beer bottles off the table and throwing them away. He sighed at the melted tub of ice cream before turning back to Catherine who had a smile growing.

"A mistake? Is that what you think- is that- is that all I'm good for?" she said starting to slur words as tears were rolling down her cheeks, but her smile remained.

"Absolutely not, Catherine! Hoe dare you think that!" Grissom tried to forcefully talk to her, now. Maybe this would work better.

"You know me better than anyone else. How could you think that I would feel that way about you? You know you're everything to me!"

"If I'm everything to you, why couldn't you prove it?" Catherine said now almost silent. Her grin had faded away long ago, and now she didn't even dare look at him. She stared at a frayed piece of one of the sofa cushions where the stuffing was starting to come out.

"Cath, you didn't give me a chance to prove it. I've been waiting to prove it since I met you," Grissom said pleading for her to believe him.

"I know, but no. No. How…? And Sara? Uuggh! Gil! Sara! How could you!"

"Catherine, calm down. You're not making any sense. I don't have any feelings for Sara, except maybe distrust and possibly disgust, at the moment. Catherine I didn't do that. I love you"

"Love…" Catherine whispered. She fell back onto the sofa, "Love…" she whispered again before falling asleep.

"Yeah, Cat. Love."

* * *

that was probably the weirder part of the story... im sorry 

i suck at life... but i would like responses... my self esteem is already kinda low... nice this time please... normally i like criticism but nawww not tongiht ya'll


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Catherine awoke. Her head hurt. She slowly started un-squinting her eyes just to shut them tight again as the afternoon sun burned her eyes and stung her head. A hangover, of course. She rolled over to shield her eyes from the blinding light. She just felt bad all over. Why did she drink so much? How much?

"Oh, God, Gil…" she croaked into her pillow. She then braced herself for another attempt at opening her eyes. She had her head turned towards the bedside table. There waiting for was a glass of water and two aspirin. Perfect. She sat up to take the pills with much protest form her body which wished she was still asleep.

"Where's Gil?" she mumbled to herself. She stood up. Gil must've carried her to bed. She looked in the bedroom doorway. There was a freshly cut rose. She walked over and picked it up smiling. With reaching for this one she saw another rose a few feet from the door way and continued to look down the hallway. There were more. She picked up the second, third, fourth, and fifth until she ended up in her kitchen. She then saw the sixth rose taped to the front door. She took it and went outside. The path of roses continued. Another on the step of the front porch, the eighth was lying on top of a bush by the front porch. The ninth and tenth led her to the side of the house. She continued the trail picking up rose after rose, speeding up with each rose. The eleventh rode was lying on the ground of the patio a few feet away from Grissom sitting in a chair. He was holding the twelfth rose.

She cautiously walked up to him. Her headache gone; how could she feel bad at a time like this? He held the last rose out to Catherine. She took it form his hand and then stared at it. It was a fake rose. Not real. She looked up at Grissom immediately with her eyebrows raised in confusion.

Grissom responded to her questioning stare calmly, and truthfully.

"Catherine, I will love you until the last rose dies."

* * *

okay everyone... reread the end line and lets have a group "aaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwweee" 

respond...


End file.
